Restaurant Gift Card Deals 2026: Bonus Cards at 7 Chains

Seven restaurant groups run a bonus-card offer on holiday 2026 gift cards, and each chain’s own gift card page, read Nov. 14-15, 2026, gives a different buy window and spend-by date. The Cheesecake Factory pays a $15 bonus eCard for every $50 spent online through Dec. 31; Panera Bread, Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Red Robin and Buffalo Wild Wings pay $10 per $50; Lettuce Entertain You pays $25 per $100. Panera’s and Buffalo Wild Wings’ bonus cards run out first, on Jan. 31, 2027.

Restaurant gift card bonus dates by chain

The table is sorted by the day the bonus stops working, earliest first. Each chain name links to the page the row came from. “Days to spend” counts the first and last day of the spend window.

Chain	Bonus	Where to buy	Buy window	Spend the bonus	Days to spend	Key limit
Panera Bread	$10 per $50	In cafe or online	Nov. 4 to Dec. 31, 2026	Jan. 1 to Jan. 31, 2027	31	One transaction; participating US cafes
Buffalo Wild Wings	$10 per $50	In restaurant or online	Nov. 10 to Dec. 31, 2026	Nov. 27, 2026 to Jan. 31, 2027	66	Four per person
Outback Steakhouse	$10 per $50	In restaurant or online	Nov. 9 to Dec. 31, 2026	Jan. 1 to Feb. 7, 2027	38	No gratuity, taxes or alcohol
Carrabba’s Italian Grill	$10 per $50	See the page	Nov. 10 to Dec. 31, 2026	Jan. 1 to Feb. 7, 2027	38	One card per visit, per table
The Cheesecake Factory	$15 per $50	Online, or in restaurant	Online Nov. 12; in restaurant Nov. 27; both to Dec. 31, 2026	Jan. 1 to Feb. 28, 2027	59	Not for tips
Lettuce Entertain You	$25 per $100	See the page	Through Dec. 30, 2026	Jan. 2 to April 15; the page gives no year	104 if 2027	Not valid Saturdays after 3 p.m.
Red Robin	$10 per $50	Online only	Nov. 2 to Dec. 31, 2026	Date printed on each Bonus Buck	Not given online	Use in one visit

Buffalo Wild Wings is the one chain whose terms let the bonus work before the new year: “It is redeemable November 27, 2026-January 31, 2027.” The same page also shows an older label with January 1 to February 28, 2026 dates, so read the date printed on the bonus card you receive. Lettuce Entertain You’s page says “Holiday Bonus valid January 2 - April 15 for one time use” and prints no year; the 104-day count assumes the January and April that follow the Dec. 30, 2026 purchase deadline.

Which bonus cards expire first

Two bonus cards end on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2027: Panera’s and Buffalo Wild Wings’. Outback and Carrabba’s follow on Sunday, Feb. 7, then the Cheesecake Factory on Sunday, Feb. 28. Lettuce Entertain You’s window runs to April 15, and Red Robin’s date is on the card itself.

The shortest spend window is Panera’s 31 days. The Cheesecake Factory’s 59 days is the longest of the Jan. 1 starts, and Outback and Carrabba’s sit between them at 38. Marking Jan. 1 and the end date on the January 2027 printable calendar keeps a $10 card from lapsing.

Cheesecake Factory bonus card 2026: $15 per $50

The Cheesecake Factory’s page says: “For every $50 you spend on gift cards online through 12/31, you’ll receive a $15 Bonus eCard.” Its promotion period runs online from 11/12/2026 through 12/31/2026 and in restaurant from 11/27/2026 through 12/31/2026. The terms say bonus cards may be used beginning 01/01/2027 and expire 02/28/2027, at the end of the business day.

The terms give one $15 bonus per full $50. Online purchases get the bonus as an eCard and restaurant purchases a physical bonus. Bonus cards are not for tips, are not valid on third-party delivery, work in the 50 states and DC only and have no cash value.

Fine print that trips people up

• Single transactions. Panera’s $10 bonus card requires one transaction of $50, and the bonus may arrive in digital form.
• One visit. Red Robin says a Bonus Buck must be used in one visit. Lettuce’s holiday bonus is for one-time use.
• Not a gift card. Outback’s page says in capitals that the $10 bonus card is not a gift card. It excludes gratuity, taxes, alcohol, private dining and catering, and is valid at Bloomin’ Brands restaurants in the U.S.
• Locations left out. Carrabba’s excludes Kirby and Voss in Houston, airport and Aussie Grill locations, and third-party delivery.
• Points or bonus. Lettuce Entertain You says Frequent Diner Club members get points or the bonus, and that Lettuce cards are no longer accepted at Maggiano’s.
• Delivery. Cheesecake Factory and Red Robin both exclude third-party delivery.
• Limit. Buffalo Wild Wings allows four bonuses per person, for food, products and non-alcoholic drinks only.

Chains without 2026 dates

Chili’s page shows a $10 bonus on $50 but prints no year, and P.F. Chang’s lists a $10 bonus per $50 without dates, so neither is in the table. Bonefish Grill’s terms were not verified. The Texas Roadhouse, Applebee’s and Cracker Barrel sites did not show terms we could check. Olive Garden, LongHorn and Dunkin’ showed no holiday bonus on Nov. 14-15.

For hours and menus around the same weeks, see restaurants open on Thanksgiving 2026 and the holiday menus tracker. Spending the money on gifts instead? The Black Friday 2026 ad tracker covers the retail side. Buy dates fall in the December 2026 printable calendar.

Print the bonus-card expiry tracker

The free printable lists each chain’s buy window, spend-by date and limit on one US Letter page, leaves room to write each bonus card’s number, amount and printed expiry, and lists the chains whose terms were not confirmed.